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Pansy/viola care

Filed under: — admin @ 8:17 am


PANSY viola x wittrockiana

One of my favorite flowers is the pansy. The flat-faced, lightly fragranced flowers that come in dozen of colors always make me smile. They are great in flower boxes, hanging baskets and bedding plants.
Pansies can be grown in areas where the summers are cool and winters are mild as they tolerate temperatures below freezing (-15F) and prefer cool summer temperatures below 85F.
In southern states pansy is grown as a winter flowering plant. In the north it is mostly grown as an annual. New cultivars such as ‘Skyline’, ‘Sky’, ‘Etain’, ‘Maxims’, Unviersal Plus’ have been known to be both heat and cold tolerant providing a longer blooming period.

'Etain' viola hybrid

Care: Plant pansies in rich, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to dappled shade and protect from the hot summer sun. Space them 6-8 inches apart. Add a balanced fertilizer at the time of planting and for maximum bloom, give the plant additional light feedings once a month over the growing period. Water early in the day (1/2-1″ per wk) to provide even moisture and avoid over-head watering to prevent fungal disease.

They bloom best in early spring before the hot summer sets in which causes them to stop blooming. For additional fall bloom, cut the plants down to 2 inches in July and fertilize. They will bounce back with the cooler temperatures.
Deadheading will prolong bloom time and pinching periodically will produce a bushy plant.

Pansies can be started from seeds in late winter 10-12 weeks before the last frost date

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4 Comments on Pansy/viola care»

  1. Hi,
    Early in the spring, I had some hanging potted plants that had, among other plants, some pansies and violas. They went to seed and suddenly I had beautiful violas all over my garden. I would like to keep some and grow them again next year. I have been ‘harvesting’ the teenie seeds by shaking the pods into a plastic bag, but this is very difficult, as the seeds are about 1/10th the size of a poppy seed. How can I save some of the plants over the winter?

    As you found out violas and pansies can reseed themselves and some will winter over depending on variety and how cold of a winter you have. Plant your violas/pansies in a protected area(away from winter winds and sun) and cover with some mulch after a hard frost. Most pansies will tolerate some frost so wait until temps get down to the 20’s. Another way is to plant them in a container and keep them in the garage for the winter

    .

    Comment by Megan — 4/24/2007 @ 8:25 am

  2. What is the best fertilizer for pansies

    Pansies need more food than most annuals when they are actively growing. They like well-drained soil that is rich in organic material. If you live in a warm climate, mix a slow- release fertilizer into the soil at planting time. Add a light balanced fertilizer of 10-10-10 or 5-10-10 in late fall and again in early spring . Be careful not to over fertilize or use a high-nitrogen formula as too much feeding can produce leggy, soft growth and make the plant susceptible to rot. They will bloom as long as the temperature is above freezing and peak in spring.In cooler climates, add the slow-release at planting time and then wait until early spring to fertilize since the plant is not as actively growing and new succulent growth would be prone to freeze damage. By the way, pansies and violas are edible flowers as long as you don’t spray them with chemicals.
    Kris

    Comment by Jenny — 4/24/2007 @ 8:28 am

  3. I have several pots of pansies mixed with violas on my deck. This morning I noticed that they are covered with little white bugs, almost unrecognizable they are so tiny. The bugs are in crawling stage and ineff/larvae stage. How can I get rid of them to protect my beatiful flowers? What are they?

    It sounds as if you have whiteflies attacking your pansies. They are difficult to see with the naked eye in the egg and crawler stage . You can see them in the pupal stage and as adults, when they fly off the plant when disturbed. Whitefly secrete honeydew which also causes a black sooty mold to develop. They are most vulnerable in the egg /crawler stage. Click here for treatment recommendations.

    Comment by Abby — 5/19/2007 @ 7:15 am

  4. I planted pansies in the spring they had big faces on them, now their the size of viola’s, I put some food on them but that didn’t seem to make a difference. I planted under a tree they do get the later after noon sun.
    what should i do to make them happy again
    Judy H

    Pansies slow down or stop blooming in hot weather. Cut the plants down to 2 inches in July (early August should work) and fertilize. They should come back with cooler temperatures.

    Comment by Judy H — 8/5/2007 @ 9:36 am

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